(FLINTKNAPPING ... Making & Understanding Stone Tools p. 180)
" Tools
Soft, as in "soft hammer", just means softer than hard - that is, antler or wood as opposed to stone - and relatively elastic as opposed to relatively inelastic. It does not mean that you will not mind if you hit your finger instead of the core...
...Shed antler is perfectly all right if it is not to old and weathered. Fresh antler may be a bit heavier and less likely to chip and wear out. If you do not find many antlers in your in your neck of the wood, try friends who hunt, taxidermists, swap meets and flea markets, and those unappreciative folk who hang antlers on their summer cabins to dry in the sun and rot in the rain. I never see a fine rack on some would-be woodsman`s gable without thinking about returning at night with a rope or ladder, but so far conscience has restrained me."
Im weiteren Verlauf führt er drei historisch nicht korrekte "soft hammer"-Formen an:
"Antlers can also be improved by modern tricks.
1. Old dry antlers can be soaked in glue to harden them.
2. An antler hammer can be weighted by drilling out a hole and filling it with lead.
3. A smaller section can be mounted on a long handle like a modern hammer head, which improves leverage and accuracy for some people.
I have always preferred a simple antler base with a minimal amount of shaping an smoothing."
Auch wenn hier nahezu alle wahrscheinlich Whittakers letzten Satz am ehesten zustimmen werden, würde mich interessieren ob jemand weitere Informationen/Erfahrungen zu den Punkten 1. bis 3. hat.
Zu 1.: Welche "glue" könnte man nutzen ? Wäre ja am ehesten ein ähnliches Verfahren wie die Plastination (http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastination)
Zu 3.: Orientierung und befestigung des Geweihstücks ? Muss ich mir das wie eine Geweih-Axt vorstellen, nur mit anderer Kopfform ?
